Yarn carrier finger and flat ended yarn carrier tube for knitting machines



Feb. 1, 1955 F. SCARBOROUGH YARN CARRIER FINGER AND FLAT ENDED YARN CARRIER TUBE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 18, 1954 IN VENTOR. 159505210X Sam/9012000,?

ArmQ/my United States Patent "ice YARN CARRIER FINGER AND FLAT ENDED EARN SCARRIER TUBE FOR KNITTING MA- Frederick Scarborough, Northampton, Mass.

Application May 18, 1954, Serial No. 430,471

7 Claims. (Cl. 66-126) This invention relates to improvements in knitting machine yarn carrier tubes, particularly those in machines of the traversing yarn feed type used, for example, in the manufacture of flat fashioned hosiery blanks. In such machines, the yarn carriers are provided with yarn carrier tubes at their lower ends, that lay the yarns across the nibs of the sinkers in feeding the yarns to the needles of the machines.

The possibility always exists that one or more sinkers will he accidentally displaced outwardly into the path of travel of the yarn carrier tubes. As a result, there have heretofore been devised various mountings for yarn carrier tubes on their associated carrier fingers, wherein the tubes are swingably displaced from their normal positlons upon the striking of an obstruction such as a sinker, thus to avoid damage to the sinkers or to other machine parts.

A yarn carrier finger wherein the yarn carrier tube is so mounted is shown, for example, in U. S. Patent 2,656,693. In this patent, a rotary turret is provided upon the lower end or tip of the carrier finger, having diametrically opposite openings in which the yarn carrier tube is mounted. Provided upon the tip, in concentric relation to said turret, is an arcuate protuberance that engages the head of the yarn carrier tube to hold the tube against longitudinal movement. Also provided upon the tube, to normally hold the tube against swingable displacement, are transversely spaced projections between which the lower end portion of the tube is releasably engaged.

In the above described patented structure, there is nothing except the frictional engagement between the tube and the contacting parts of the carrier, to hold the tube against axial rotation. In some instances, this frictional engagement is not sufficient to prevent axial rotation of the tube. In other instances, when, for example, the tube is swung laterally on encountering an obstruction, the frictional engagement is lost completely, thus permitting the tube to rotate about its own axis. Still further, when a new tube is being mounted upon the finger, it is difficult to determine the proper position of rotary adjustment of the tube, before lockably engaging the tube with the protuberance and projections mentioned above.

The desirability for preventing axial rotation of the tube, and for facilitating the determination of the proper position of rotary adjustment thereof, arises when the tube has its outlet end cut away obliquely to the tube axis, to provied a beveled end on the tube that is to be faced in a prescribed direction in respect to the sinkers.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved yarn carrier tube intended particularly, but not necessarily, to be associated with a yarn carrier of the type shown in the above mentioned patent, which tube will be so designed as to act in concert with the tube-contacting surface of the yarn carrier, in obtaining a proper position of rotary adjustment of the tube that will correctly locate the beveled outlet end thereof in respect to the sinkers.

Another important object is to provide a yarn carrier tube as stated which, when lockably engaged in operative position on the carrier finger, will be securely held by said finger against rotary movement from the prescribed position of rotary adjustment of the tube.

A further object of importance is to provide means on the tube that will facilitate its rotatable adjustment to a proper position, when the tube is being inserted in the 2,700,879 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 rotary turret preliminary to shifting of the tube to its locked position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means as described above that will not add to the cost of the tube in any material degree.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a carrier on which is mounted a yarn carrier tube formed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the tip of the carrier finger and of a tube mounted thereon, the dotted lines showing the position of the tube when it is being inserted preliminary to locking of the same to the carrier finger.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of said carrier finger tip and tube.

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of the yarn carrier tube per se.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied generally in the drawings to a yarn carrier finger formed as disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,656,693. Said finger is formed of relatively thin sheet metal material and includes an elongated, inclined body 12 having a longitudinally and centrally disposed strenghtening corrugation formed therein.

At its lower end, the body 12 is integrally formed with a vertically depending tip 14, and at its upper end, said body is integral with the usual head 16 by which the carrier is secured to the knitting machine.

On the front surface of the tip 14 there is pressed out an arcuate rib or protuberance 18, concentric with and spaced closely above an opening 20 (Fig. 3) formed in the center portion of a shallow depression 22 provided in the back surface of the finger. Rotatably mounted in the opening 20 is a turret 24 having a peripheral flange 26 engaging against the back surface of the carrier tip, and having a diametrically extending raised portion formed at its opposite ends with openings, adjacent which openings there are inwardly and radially extending guide projections 26'. At the lower end of the tip, transversely spaced, relatively low projections 28 are provided, engaging opposite sides of the lower end portion of a yarn carrier tube extending therebetween.

The carrier finger and turret described above constitute no part of the present invention, per se, and are substantially as shown in the mentioned U. S. patent. The yarn carrier tube 30, however, does constitute the present invention, and includes an elongated, axially bored body 32 the lower end of which extends below the lower end of the tip, and is obliquely beveled as at 34. The open, beveled lower end is faced inwardly of the carrier finger, during operation of the machine, in the position shown in the several figures of the drawing.

At its other end, the tube is formed with a head 36 having an outer diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the tube body, to define a circumferential shoulder therebetween engaging against one end of the diametrically extending raised portion of the turret 24 to limit longitudinal movement of the tube in a downward direction in Fig. 2, that is, in the direction of the silnkers, not shown. The head 36 is of a length to cause the other end of the head to engage against the inner surface of the curved protuberance 18 in the operative, full line position of the tube shown in Fig. .2', thus also limiting longitudinal movement of the tube in the opposite direction when the tube is operatively disposed and releasably locked between the projections 28.

In accordance with the present invention, the head 36 is partially cut away to define a fiat surface 38 extending within a plane parallel to the tube axis, said surface being disposed, as shown in Fig. 6, in the plane of the inner side of the tube. The inner surface 38 is formed at a prescribed location in respect to the tube circumference, determined by the location of the bevel of the lower end of the tube. In other words, when the beveled lower end is faced inwardly of the carrier finger, the fiat surface 38 will be disposed in contact wiglsthe front surface of the tip, as shown in Figs. 3 an In use of the tube, the tube is inserted while in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. After the tube is inserted through the diametrically opposite openings of the turret 24, said turret is rotated counterclockwise in Fig. 2 with the head 36 in engagement with the periphery of the turret. This causes the head to be locked between the turret periphery and the protuberance 18, the tube extending longitudinally and centrally of the carrier tip and springing into the space between the projections 28, so as to be releasably locked by and between said pro- 'jections.

The fiat surface 38 facilitates the rotary adjustment of the tube to the proper position, to cause the beveled lower end 34 of the tube to face rearwardly or inwardly of the carrier finger during the use of the device. In other words, one need merely rotate the tube during its insertion until the flat surface 38 is so disposed as to slide along the fiat front surface of the yarn carrier finger tip. The tube may now be swung to its full line position, the fiat surface 38 remaining in contact with the front surface of the tip, so as to hold the tube against rotation during its use in knitting operations.

Should the tube strike an obstruction and swing, for example, back to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, it need merely be swung back to its full line position and when so swung, will automatically be retained in a proper position of rotary adjustment, since it will not swing back to its full line position unless the flat surface 38 is properly disposed relative to the contacting flat surface of the yarn carrier tip.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the body, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis.

2. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the body, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis, said means comprising a head on the tube having a flat surface contacting the adjacent surface of the tip.

3. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the body, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis, said means comprising a head on the tube having a flat surface contacting the adjacent surface of the tip, one end surface of the tube being beveled, said beveled end surface and the flat surface of the head both facing inwardly in respect to the carrier finger.

4. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the body, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis, said means comprising a head on the tube having a flat surface contacting the adjacent surface of the tip, one end surface of the tube being beveled, said beveled end surface and the fiat surface of the head both facing inwardly in respect to the carrier finger, the flat surface of the head being disposed in a plane paralleling said long axis.

5. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the body, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis, said means comprising a head on the tube having a fiat surface contacting the adjacent surface of the tip, one end surface of the tube being beveled, said beveled end surface and the flat surface of the head both facing inwardly in respect to the carrier finger, the fiat surface of the head being disposed in a plane paralleling said long axis, the tube body having a side wall gnedsurface of which merges into the flat surface of the 6. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the body, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis, said means comprising a head on the tube having a flat surface contacting the adjacent surface of the tip, one end surface of the tube being beveled, said beveled end surface and the flat surface of the head both facing inwardly in respect to the carrier finger, the fiat surface of the head being disposed in a plane paralleling said long axis, the tube body having a side wall one surface of which merges into the flat surface of the head, said head being of greater diameter than the tube body to define a turret-engaging shoulder therebetween, the fiat surface terminating at said shoulder.

7. In a yarn carrier for knitting machines the combination, with a yarn carrier finger including a body, a tip on one end of the bodv, and a rotary yarn carrier tube support turret on the tip, of a yarn carrier tube comprising an axially bored body removably supported in the turret, and means on one end of the tube body engaging the tip to hold the tube against rotation about its long axis, said means comprising a head on the tube having a flat surface contacting the adjacent surface of the tip, one end surface of the tube being beveled, said beveled end surface and the fiat surface of the head both facing inwardly in respect to the carrier finger, the flat surface of the head being disposed in a plane paralleling said long axis, the tube body having a side wall one surface of which merges into the fiat surface of the head, said head being of greater diameter than the tube body to define a turret-engaging shoulder therebetween, the flat surface terminating at said shoulder, the tip having a curved protuberance concentric with the turret and a flat surface between the turret and protuberance, the flat surface of the head engaging against said flat surface of the tip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

